Chapter 136 Sheng Huai'an is in trouble

Sheng Huai was installed dead, but he refused to leave his study.

There was nothing that could be done; in the end, it was Jia Shi, with a dark face and her body ravaged by the potent poison, who had to step forward to handle the fire at Qinghui Garden.

She bribed the coroner and the yamen runners with a large sum of money to define the fire at Qinghui Garden as an accident, rather than Liu Rumei committing suicide by arson, which would at least make the story sound better.

The idea of ​​suicide makes it sound like they mistreated Liu Rumei, leaving her with no way out.

But it was clearly her own fault for being shameless and indecent, Jia cursed inwardly.

Out of respect for Sheng Yunche, the yamen runners agreed to cover for Jia.

...

Two more days passed.

Liu Rumei was buried quietly.

As for Jinzhu, no one remembered her death, and no one took any action. She was simply rolled up in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave, and that was it.

Yinzhu was frightened and developed a high fever on the night the fire started, which lasted for several days.

Jia Shi didn't care whether she lived or died, leaving her to fend for herself in the dilapidated Qinghui Garden.

Ye Mingzhu had Yanzhi deliver medicine to her several times, which at least prevented her from becoming mentally impaired due to the fever.

Once she felt better, Ye Mingzhu met with her privately and asked her what her plans were for the future.

Yinzhu had no plans for the future. Her only wish was to leave the Sheng family mansion, go far away, and live a simple and peaceful life.

"Then I'll try to get your indenture, buy you out of the Sheng family, and send you to my parents' home, okay?" Ye Mingzhu asked.

"Madam, is it true?" Yinzhu asked excitedly.

She believed in Ye Mingzhu's character; the Ye family was where Ye Mingzhu was raised, and she trusted them.

"Really," Ye Mingzhu said with a gentle smile.

"Why are you so worried about me?" Yinzhu asked curiously, hesitatingly. "The person who contacted me before was..."

What is it?

She didn't explain it clearly.

Although she wasn't smart, she wasn't stupid either. She knew that some things could be said out loud, while others were best left unsaid.

Ye Mingzhu smiled but didn't say anything, nor did she deny it.

“I will help you. Whether you want to get married or become a female doctor with my mother and sister-in-law, it’s a good path. At least you’ll have enough to eat and wear and a stable life,” she said.

Yinzhu's eyes were filled with gratitude. She struggled to her feet and kowtowed to Ye Mingzhu, saying, "Thank you, Madam."

Ye Mingzhu quickly helped her up and made her lie down again.

She didn't think she had done anything good; she had simply "cooperated" with Yinzhu before and, seeing her in trouble, couldn't bear it and offered a little help.

As a woman herself, she knew the hardships women faced.

However, just as Ye Mingzhu was about to go find Yu Shu, Sheng Huai'an suddenly ran into trouble again.

...

He failed the imperial examination.

His illicit affair was exposed, and his reputation was ruined.

Liu Rumei committed suicide by self-immolation, ending it all with a resolute attitude.

...One unexpected event after another shattered Sheng Huai'an's already wavering resolve.

He escaped reality, spending his days drinking, never stopping until he was completely drunk, as if that would allow him to return to the past when he was adored by everyone.

Jia tried to persuade him, but to no avail; he cried and shed tears at home every day.

But Sheng Huai'an only felt annoyed by her earnest and persuasive manner.

In fact, Jia's concerns were not unreasonable.

It was one thing for Sheng Huai'an to drink at home, and even if he went crazy, he would only go crazy at home. But sometimes, when he was drunk and not sober, he would insist on going out into the street and going to restaurants to drink and make merry.

Madam Jia instructed Fu'an to keep an eye on Sheng Huai'an and prevent him from leaving the house, but how could Fu'an dare to stop him?

He couldn't stop him, and instead he would get beaten. He was good at protecting himself, so he simply let Sheng Huai'an do as he pleased, and just gave Jia a few perfunctory words.

If this continues for a long time, something unexpected will definitely happen.

In Yanjing, nobles were as common as dogs, and high-ranking officials were everywhere. After getting drunk, Sheng Huai'an didn't know how to restrain himself and inadvertently offended someone he shouldn't have.

For example, there's Consort Shu's younger brother, Prince Wang Jing, who was once knocked unconscious by Ye Mingzhu with a stone.

Wang Jing's reputation as a playboy was known to everyone in Yanjing. It was something Sheng Huai'an would never do if he were sober.

But he was drunk.

Wang Jing was arrogant, but this guy was even more arrogant than Wang Jing.

Wang Jing ordered his servants to slap him a few times. The man, with a ferocious expression, rushed up to Wang Jing and pushed him hard, sending Wang Jing tumbling down the stairs, leaving him bruised and battered, with a broken arm.

How could Wang Jing possibly let this go after being "bullied" like this?

Even if Wang Jing had lost his mind and decided not to take revenge on Sheng Huai'an, Consort Shu, who felt sorry for her younger brother, would never agree to it.

Almost everyone, including Sheng Huai'an after he sobered up, knew that Sheng Huai'an would definitely be retaliated against.

No one expected the retaliation to come so quickly and so severely.

On the third day after the conflict between Sheng Huai'an and Wang Jingqi, he suddenly disappeared.

Jia reported the incident to the authorities that very day, but they were unable to find any trace of him.

After a day and a night of torment, for the sake of her son, Jia knelt down at the gate of the Duke of Wei's mansion early in the morning, crying, begging Princess Ronghua to have mercy and help her find Sheng Huai'an.

But given their previous disagreement, how could Princess Ronghua possibly go out to see her again?

Once the mansion gates are open, Jia's family will continue to make wild accusations and push their luck.

She hasn't forgotten what happened before!

Even though Lady Jia cried herself to death at the door, Princess Ronghua did not show up.

It's even more impossible for Ye Mingzhu and Sheng Yunche to be together.

Sheng Huai'an reappeared in public a few days later, when he was dumped from his carriage at the entrance of Zuihualou early one morning.

He rolled on the ground several times, like a rag discarded on the ground.

His hair was disheveled, his body was dirty, and his usually handsome and fair face was flushed and hot due to a high fever, while his lips were dry and pale. It was clear that he was sick, and quite seriously so.

However, what is most striking is the patch of glaring bloodstains spreading below his waist and abdomen.

And a bamboo tube lying on the ground.

The bloodstains and bamboo tubes told everyone, almost cruelly and bluntly, that Sheng Huai'an had been castrated and lost his ability to be a man... In this way, he would never be able to compete with others for women again.

After all, once you've got it, it's useless.

Sheng Huai'an's tragic condition shocked many people.

Some busybodies even went to the Sheng family to tip them off.

Upon receiving the news, Jia hurriedly took a carriage to the entrance of Zuihualou. Before she even got out of the carriage, she saw Sheng Huai'an lying unconscious on the ground and her vision went black; she almost fainted.

When she stumbled and rushed to Sheng Huai'an's side, and saw his miserable state, she couldn't help but bury her face in his arms and burst into tears.

She cried so hard she almost passed out.

"Who has committed such a heinous crime? Who has lost all conscience to treat my son like this!"

"The Wang family, it must be the Wang family!"

"Wang Jing, Consort Shu, why don't you just die! I will never let you go! I curse you both to go to hell!"

"..."

Jia had gone mad and cared about nothing. The words that came out of her mouth were as foul as could be, and the vulgarities were endless.

The onlookers kept their distance from her, as if afraid of getting involved with her crazy antics, and no one stepped forward to stop her.

No one reminded her that her son was still lying on the ground.

Madam Jia was so busy crying and grieving that she had lost one son and ruined another, and that the family line was about to end. She completely forgot to take Sheng Huai'an to see a doctor, and she didn't realize that her son was very refined and valued manners, and didn't want to be laughed at by others.

She cried until she was exhausted, and only after being reminded by Granny Wang did she come to her senses. She hurriedly ordered someone to carry Sheng Huai'an into the carriage and take him away.

But by this time, the joke about the Sheng family had spread throughout the entire capital city of Yanjing.

Sheng Huai'an's disheveled appearance was even drawn by some busybodies and widely circulated, completely ruining his reputation.